Automatic coupling for railway-carriages.



PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

J. WILLISON. AUTOMATIC COUPLING FOR RAILWAY GARR IAGES.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 30, 1904- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Wv'iness e5 PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

J. WILLISON. AUTOMATIC COUPLING FOR RAILWAY GARRIAGES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NITED STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN \VILLISON, OF DERBY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLEOASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPO- RATION OF OHIO.

AUTOMATIC COUPLING FOR RAlLWAY-CARRIAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,100, dated June 13,1905.

Application filed June 30, 1904. Serial No. 214,742.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN IVILLIsoN, a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland, residing at 158 Clarence road, Derby, in the countyof Derby, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Couplers for Railway-Carriages, of which the following is aspecification, for

.which I have applied for a patent in Great Britain, dated September 14,1903, No. 19,753.

This invention relates to an automatic coupler for railway-carriages inwhich averticallypivoted coupler-knuckle can be locked in the closed orcoupled position or unlocked and relocked by means of a rod whichoperates the locking-block of the coupler. The locking-block is alsocombined with a lever, by means of which the coupler-knuckle may bebrought to the open or coupling position by a further movement of theoperating-rod, or the opening of the knuckle may be effected by a directconnection between the knuckle and operating-rod. The locking-block mayitself be locked in the locking position by means of a finger on theoperating-rod engaging in a recess or over a ledge on the lockingblockwhen the rod and block are in their lowest position.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of an automatic couplerconstructed according to this invention, showing the knuckle closed andlocked; Fig. 2, a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 an endelevation of the coupler in the same position, and Fig. 1 a sectionalplan, and Fig. 5 an end elevation of the coupler when in the open orcoupling position.

The outer end of the operating-rod a is supported in a bracket at thecorner of the car riage, and the inner end is pivotally attached to arod or bar a, the rear end of which passes under the locking-block Z;and over the inclined surface 0 of a piece 0, which is fixed to thecoupler-head and extends transversely underneath it. The forward end ofthe bar a of the rod is stepped in a pocket cl, attached under andmoving with the coupler-knuckle (Z, and a shoulder or projection 60 nearthe forward end engages with a stop (Z which may conveniently be thelower projecting end 5 of the knuckle pivot-pin on the under side of theknuckle and in rear of the pocket OZ, which prevents the forward end ofthe bar becoming retracted or unstepped.

The lower end of the locking-block 5 is formed with a surface 6oppositely inclined to the surface 0, on which the rear end of the bar ais'supported, and rests when the coupler is locked on the bar (0,attached to the operating-rod. In this position also the bar a ispartially encircled by the hook-shaped piece 0, depending from thelocking-block, and a similar piece a, fixed to the coupler-head, so thatthe lock is locked in this position as longas the operating-rod is notmoved. When 5 the rod (0 is pulled outward, the bar a travels up theincline c and at the same time by engagement with the incline 6 causesthe locking-block to rise in vertical or approximately vertical guides 0formed in or attached to the coupler-head. The rear end of the bar a hason that part of its surface which engages with the inclined surface b ofthe locking-block a small ridge or angular projection a WVhen this ridge(0 has cleared the incline 7 5 6, the locking-block drops slightly, butis still supported on the bar a, and therefore is preented fromreturning gravitationally to its initial position. When the parts are inthis position, Fig. 5, the rear end of the bar a abuts 0 against one ofthe lock-guides 6 depending from the coupler-head or other suitableattachment thereto, which prevents it moving farther in an outwarddirection. Also the ridge or angular projection c engaging in a notch 5or suitably-inclined surface 6 on the tail of the lock prevents the rodor bar a from returning by gravity down the incline 0 to its initialposition. The lock is now in the lockset position, and the tail f of thecoupler- 9 knuckle, which in the locking position of the locking-blockabuts against the locking-sur face of the latter, is now free to passunder the block Z), which is undercut for that purpose. Thecoupler-knuckle can therefore now be turned outward on its pivot f,which is fixed or supported vertically in the couplerhead. The uppersurface of the tail or alternately the undercut surface of thelockingblock adjacent to the upper surface of the tail is formed with asloping protuberance f so placed that when the knuckle has been turnedoutward through part of its range this protuberance engages with theundercut surface of the locking-block and raises the latter so as toclear the rod (0, which is therefore free to slide down the surface 0toward its lowest position. The locking-block is now supported in itsupper or unlocking position by the tail of the knuckle, Figs. L and 5,until the latter is returned to the coupling position, when the lockbeing no longer supported by either the knuckle or the operating-roddrops to its lowest position and again locks the coupler-knuckle anditself.

The whole process of unlocking the coupler and opening thecoupler-knuckle may be performed by means of the operating-rod (b. Du 1-ing the first part of the outward movement of the red the locking-blockis raised, as already described, to the unlocking position and the rearend of the rod (4 brought into abutment with the coupler-head or anattachment thereto. No further outward movement of the rear end of thebar a being possible, a further pull by the operating rod or handle a onthe bar a turns the latter outward about its rear end as a fulcrum, andits forward end being stepped in a pocket attached to thecoupler-knuckle forward of its pivot-pin the coupler-knuckle is rotatedoutward about its pivot f, thus setting the coupler in the open orcoupling position.

I claim 1. In acar-coupler, apivoted knuckle, avertically-movinglocking-block adapted to engage the front of the knuckle-tail and havingan inclined end, an oppositely-inclined surface on the coupler-head, andan operating-rod adapted to move between said inclined surfaces to liftthe locking-block; substantially as described.

2. In a ear-coupler, a gravity-elosed locking-block having a hook memberadapted to engage the operating-rod to secure the block in its closedposition; substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupler, a gravity-closed lookingblock having an inclinedlower surface and a recess in said surface and an operatingrod forraising said locking-block, said rod having an angular projectionadapted to engage said recess to support said locking-block;substantially as described.

4:. In a car-coupler, a gravity-closed locking-block, means for raisingand thereafter supporting said block in its elevated position, a pivotedknuckle, and coacting surfaces on said block and knuckle adapted torelease said block-support; substantially as described.

5. In a ear-coupler, a vertically-pivoted coupler-knuckle, alocking-block arranged to slide in substantially vertical guides andhaving an inclined under surface, a movable bar under the locking-blockand having its forward end pivotally mounted in the couplerknuckleforward of the axis thereof, and its rear end supported on a surfaceoppositely inclined to the under surface of the lockingblock, means formoving the rear end of said bar outward in contact with both inclinedsurfaces, so as to raise the locking-block to the unlocked position,means for retaining the locking-block in its elevated position, meansoperated by the movement of the couplerknuckle to allow the movable barto return to its lowest position, and means for locking thelocking-block when the coupler is in the closed position, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN WILLISON. W itnesses:

O. K. EDDOWES, F. A. RoLLAsoN.

